1980s

In terms of output, the 1980s were Leon's most prolific decade ever, with four new solo albums appearing as well as his first and only 45 single. Leon had just launched his own record label, Fuse, which would act as the conduit by which his work reached
the general public throughout the 1980s - and, indeed, for the next 30 years. (Fuse also re-issued several of
Leon’s earlier Acorn albums.)Through
the 1980s, Leon also continued his interest in writing shows and plays, performing with collaborators Frankie Armstrong, Sandra Kerr and Roy Bailey (among
others) on the musicals, Love, Loneliness and Laundry, No Cause for Alarm and The Liberty Tree. (There were others too: apparently Leon wrote a show about the Spanish Civil War, and adapted one of his own books, I Thought I Heard a GoldfishSinging with Sandra Kerr (never staged). We might also mention another play called A Cure For Crackling, which centred on three people in a psychiatric
hospital waiting room. The character "Susie" (she who bites
policemen) originated in this play, which was apparently only staged once, at
the University of Hull.)
Leon's first single was issued in 1987, and was written and released to provoke a reaction from the establishment by openly defying their ban on reporting the contents of the book, Spycatcher (Peter Wright). It was then included on his final album of the 80s, I Didn't Mean It.The period 1987-1991 also includes Leon’s most
sustained work on songs for children since the early 1970s. Most of his period
songs (eight of which we can positively pin down) were written for specific
book projects. Full details can be found on the separate Children’s Songs page. These
children’s projects span the turn of the new decade, but would not be Leon’s
last.

For the Good of the NationLP, Fuse, 1981

Temporary Loss of VisionLP, Fuse, 1983

Bringing the News from NowhereLP, Fuse, 1986

Ballad of a Spy Catcher / Song of the Free Press 45, Upside Down Records, 1987